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Jordin Sparks becomes youngest "Idol" winner

"It just turned out pretty cool, I guess," she said, giggling and brushing back her long dark hair.

In addition to transforming nobodies into stars, "Idol" has become a coveted forum for established artists to be seen. Wednesday's star-studded event included performances by Gwen Stefani, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight and Green Day.

Sparks, who is from Glendale, Arizona, and is the daughter of former National Football League player Phillippi Sparks, started singing as a toddler and auditioned for "American Idol" as soon as she could after becoming eligible at the age of 16.

"She sings so good it's hard to believe that she's 17," music legend Robinson told reporters after the show. "To sing like that you would have to have lived for a long time."

Heading into the competition's final week, many thought the show's top title was up for grabs, with "Idol" judge Simon Cowell saying viewers would have to decide between the better singer, Sparks, and the better entertainer, Lewis.

Throughout the season, Lewis, a Bothell, Washington, native, delivered energetic performances in which he put an original twist on classic songs using a vocal percussion technique known as beat-boxing.

Following Tuesday's final performances, however, all eyes were on Sparks. At the end of that show, judge Randy Jackson told Sparks that she had "wiped the floor" with Lewis and both he and Cowell on Wednesday's show predicted she would win.

After the show, Lewis told reporters backstage that he had pegged Sparks as the next "American Idol" weeks ago.

"I feel great," he said. "I was trying to wear a 'Vote For Jordin Sparks' T-shirt last night but they wouldn't let me."

Source : www.reuters.com

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